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Friday, November 23, 2012

The Mermaid dress

Good morning!
Here is another new textile design and dress i've been dying to reveal. This one is adorned with mermaids, frolicking upon a sea-foam background with shells, starfish and lots of wispy tendrils of hair.
This design started out as a long watercolour painting of a row mermaids, hair all intertwined, so it's wonderful to see them all laid out upon fabric and stitched into a wearable garment.

I don't know if it's because i grew up by the ocean, but i've always had an obsession with mermaids, and would quietly pretend i was one when swimming in the rock pools and searching for tiny fish at our local beach. Not so much at this age though...
I've done copious paintings of them in the past - but they were usually so solitary and sad - trapped in glass display cases or terribly aware of their tragic romantic failings with human men - but these mermaids are able to go out in the world now, hopefully carried around by whoever wears these dresses. The wearer will be able to give them the legs they never ever had, and a view of the world that was never quite possible. (just don't jump into the ocean while wearing this dress or you may just turn into sea-foam, like the original little mermaid.)

This particular dress was commissioned by the Audrey Grace boutique.
For information on how to order your very own mermaid dress, please email me.

So I finally followed the link trail from tumblr and found your blog--your work is so so stunning and charming, I can't even articulate it! I'm in love with your work and will dream of owning one of your dresses forever now!

Thanks Michelle, that is absolutely kind of you to write. So glad you took the effort to check out my blog! (one thing about tumblr that makes me sad is that even when you post your own work and source it people just don't care to check those things.)

Caitlin you are pure magic! I owe it to my childhood self to get this dress, like you I've been long obsessed with mermaids but my obsession stems from living in the driest and most desolate of towns. Forever longing to be near the ocean and imagining what my town looked like a million years ago underwater and what it would look like when it is once again submerged.

Hello Crissy. Yes, funny that our love for mermaids stem from entirely opposing locations and situations. I can definitely see why living somewhere arid would lull you into longing for an underwater fantasy.

(are you someone who likes to think the lost city of atlantis is real, like i do?)

Caitlin!!! This is stunning. I want I want I want... I hope you still have some in stock later in December.... I will email you about buying one and, by the way, (better late than never?) just sent you a loooong letter. ;)

Thanks Amalia!I've had some requests for bigger sizing lately so i think i'm going to branch out and try to provide that.if you can email me at caitlin.shhh@hotmail.com i can send the standard measurements and such through.